Big mountains, big climbs and big results were the story of the July 24-26 weekend for New England ultrarunners as they took on challenging mountain ultras from coast to coast. Here in the region, Lila Gaudrault reigned supreme at the Magnificent Bastards Challenge in Vermont, while many other runners traveled cross-country to tackle tough ultras in the West. We have them all covered in this edition of the roundup.

Magnificent Bastards Challenge

Just one week removed from finishing the Vermont 100, Lila Gaudrault shook her legs out with an uphill event–and she finished with an overall course record. Gaudrault, 23, of Williston, Vt., was one of 37 runners who took part in the fourth annual Magnificent Bastards Challenge Last Runner Standing event on Saturday, July 25, in Corinth, Vt. The event used a 1-mile loop course with 300 feet of gain, and runners had 20 minutes to complete it and return to the starting line for the next loop until only one runner remained.

After 17 hours of competing and climbing, Gaudrault was the last runner standing following 51 loops. She set a new overall course record with her performance. Top male performers James King, 30, of Thetford, Vt., and James Cilwik, 22, of Williston, Vt., earned the assist with 50 loops apiece, and they set new male course records with their efforts. Anthony Ryan, 19, of New Milford, Conn., was fourth with 45 loops, followed by 40-year-old Erik Wiley of Beverly, Mass., with 41 loops, and female runner-up Jodie Wolfe, 34, of Boston, Mass., with 33 loops.

In addition to the run, the event also included a rucking option with ruckers given 30 minutes to complete each loop. Of the 11 competitors, 34-year-old Chris Paquette of Waterford, Conn., earned the victory with 37 loops.

Lost Sierra 100K

When ultrarunners in New England think about West Coast trails, they likely envision endless miles of smooth singletrack. Maddie Kaplan found very little of that when the 29-year-old from Canton, Mass., took on the Lost Sierra 100K on Saturday, July 25, in Downieville, Calif. Instead, Kaplan encountered one of the most technically difficult and physically demanding ultramarathon courses in California.

Big, burly and remote, the Lost Sierra course included a little bit of classic buttery West Coast singletrack, but it primarily walloped runners with a mix of rocky trails that echoed New Hampshire’s White Mountains, as well as dusty alpine trails and seemingly endless loose rocks that shifted and slipped under foot as runners traveled out and back through the Sierra Buttes, earning around 12,000 feet of vertical gain along the way.

Sixty-three runners gathered at the starting line to begin the journey. Along the way, they endured the challenging terrain as well as dry heat and scorching sun as the temperature climbed into the upper 80s. Several runners dropped by the halfway point, and many more withdrew at various points during the return trip due to fatigue, stomach issues, injury or navigational challenges. Ultimately, just 37 finished within the 20-hour time limit, including 10 within the final hour. Kaplan was among the finishers, and she raced strong throughout. She spent nearly the entire day among the top female runners and climbed as high as third place before ultimately placing fifth in the female field and 16th overall in 16:05:20. Bernie Nelson, 35, of Truckee, Calif., was the overall winner and female champion in 12:27:28. Jack Cartwright, 35, of Orinda, Calif., led the male field and finished second overall in 13:01:41.

In addition to the 100K race, an additional 86 runners completed the one-way 50K race within 13 hours. No New Englanders took part at that distance.

Resurrection Pass

Hannah Goodman ran her first ultra in October 2025 at the Wild Wild West Ultra 50K in California. In April 2026, she ran her second ultra and upped the distance to 60K at the Zion Ultras in Utah. For her third ultra, Goodman once again headed West–this time even farther to Cooper Landing, Alaska, for her longest race yet. Goodman ran the 50-mile distance at the Resurrection Pass Ultras on July 24-25, and she earned another successful result while racing on the Resurrection Pass Trail on the Kenai Peninsula. Goodman, 24, of Lexington, Mass., finished 29th overall and 10th in the female field in 11:20:00. Sixty-seven runners finished within 17 1/2 hours, led by 38-year-old Cody Priest and 29-year-old Yvonne Jeschke, both of Anchorage, Alaska, in 6:34:00 and 7:02:00, respectively.

The event also included a 100-mile race. Seventeen runners completed that distance, though no New England residents were among the field.

Standhope Ultras

A pair of New England women earned their first ultramarathon finishes at the 14th annual Standhope Ultras on July 25-26 in Ketchum, Idaho. The high-altitude event took runners as high as 11,000 feet above sea level, with runners in the event’s 100-mile race amassing 23,000 feet of elevation gain and those in the 60K earning 9,000 feet of vertical.

Both Fiona Ahearne, 29, of Freeport, Maine, and Nathalie Maffei, 23, of Boston, Mass., took part in the 60K race, and both were among the top 10 female finishers. Ahearne finished eighth in the female field and 24th overall in 10:25:38, while Maffei placed 10th in the female field and 36th overall in 11:06:59. Seventy-eight runners finished the race within 14 hours, led by 22-year-old Mason Wheeler of Jackson, Wyo., in 7:32:54. Victoria Kent, 32, of Hailey, Idaho, was the top female finisher and fourth overall in 8:42:48.

An additional 29 runners completed the event’s 100-mile race, though no New England residents were among the field.

Grand Mesa Ultras

Two months removed from running her first ultramarathon, Jennifer Puzey added a second to her resume at the 16th edition of the Grand Mesa Ultras on Saturday, July 25, in Grand Mesa, Colo. The event offered 50-mile and 55K distances, and Puzey, 22, of Norwood, Mass., opted for the 50-miler. It was her first attempt at the distance, and she had to overcome high altitude and extensive climbing to achieve her finish. 

Of the 42 runners who finished within 14 hours, Puzey placed 29th overall and eighth in the female field in 12:44:27. Max Robinson, 33, of Fruita, Colo., led all runners in 7:24:34. Kristina Chang, 32, of Boulder, Colo., was the female champion and sixth overall finisher in 9:18:02.

An additional 44 runners completed the 55K race; none of the participants were from New England.

Pikes Peak Ultra

Courtney McGowan made a strong ultramarathon debut at the Pikes Peak Ultra on Saturday, July 25, in Colorado Springs, Colo. The event offered 50-mile and 50K ultras on the trails on and around Pikes Peak, testing runners with altitude and plenty of climbing. McGowan, 27, of Dorset, Vt. took part in the 50K race, and she was up to the challenge. Of the 128 finishers within 14 1/2 hours, McGowan placed 29th overall and 10th in the female field in 7:46:33. Patrick McGlade, 37, of Westminster, Colo., led all runners in 5:21:59, while 24-year-old Emily Murphy of Columbus, Ohio, topped the female field and finished 13th overall in 7:06:26.

No New England residents took part in the 50-mile race.

Grand Island Trail Race

A pair of Connecticut ultrarunners earned 50K personal records at the 10th edition of the Grand Island Trail Race on Saturday, July 25, in Munising, Mich. Maria Dibella, 29, of West Hartford, and Daniel Hunter, 30, of Branford, both had strong days of racing on a course that circled the perimeter of Grand Island in Lake Superior.

Of the 142 finishers within 10 1/2 hours, Dibella placed 26th overall and sixth in the female field in 5:32:38, while Hunter finished 36th overall in 5:52:52. Nick Dunkle, 36, of Middleville, Mich., and Stephanie Cloutier, 35, of Eau Claire, Wisc., finished 1-2 overall and topped the male and female fields in 4:05:38 and 4:11:55, respectively.

*Editor’s Note: Results are found on a variety of sites, including ultrasignup.com, UltraRunning Magazine, and official race websites. We do the best we can to find as many results as possible to report on and recognize the local ultrarunning community.